“Every man's ability may be strengthened
or increased by culture”
- John Abbott
THE OREGON CULTURAL TRUST
Less than a decade
ago, Oregon was ranked 48th in per-capita public funding for the arts.
Ben Westlund
brought together diverse and often competing interests to create the
Oregon Cultural Trust, which now provides over $1 million a year for
arts and culture projects. The Oregonian heralded the Trust
legislation as the “best accomplishment” of the 2001 Legislature.
“Every day, Oregonians seek education, entertainment and a sense
of identity from the thousands of cultural activities offered in
their communities. I have watched Ben Westlund walk his
talk by leading the fight to protect the arts in Oregon.”
- Mike Lindberg Former Chair, Oregon Arts Commission
As a
member of the 1999 Cultural Task Force, Ben listened to the
input of 20,000 Oregonians while laying the groundwork for the
Trust. In the 2001 session, Ben sponsored HB 2923, to
create the Cultural Trust. He currently sits on the
Trust's Board and helps administer the grants.
The Oregon Cultural Trust is funded
by generous tax-deductible contributions from individuals and
businesses that also make a matching contribution to one of over
1,000 qualifying non-profit arts and culture organizations.
Additional funds for the Trust come from the sale of the Oregon
"cultural" license plate.
The Trust's funds go towards achieving four goals:
1. Increase
public and private support for culture. 2. Advance, preserve, or stabilize cultural resources. 3. Build public participation across cultural
disciplines. 4. Increase understanding of the value of cultural
development.
Who else participates?
In addition to over 1,000 nonprofits, the Oregon Cultural Trust works through
five statewide cultural organizations to support cultural programs of
different types across Oregon:
Ben currently serves on the
Advisory Board of BendFilm, an organization that works to
bring an independent film festival to Central Oregon each year.
Ben believes
that arts and culture can play a vital role in stimulating local
economies. BendFilm is a great example of this principle
in central Oregon.
BendFilm
also works to provide working capital to deserving filmmakers,
supports film and arts education programs for children, and
provides scholarships for college-bound future-filmmakers.
This year's BendFilm festival
will be held on October 12 through October 15. Passes go
on sale August 1 for members and Tickets go on sale September 18
for members (October 9 for the general public).
"He's
not in anybody's pocket. I really admire him for having the
courage to stand up for what he believes." Gert Boyle,
Chair, Columbia Sportswear
"Today,
Oregon needs strong leadership. As the parent of a student that
attends public schools, I believe Ben will be a champion for the
students and their future." Elizabeth Blackney,
Bend
"He
is determined to make this place we call Oregon a better place,
for all Oregonians." Ernest Bloch,
Portland
(838 kb)